Our most recent design, Tao Circle Latte', was made in partnership with Tao Pacific Designs. This collaboration comes down to mutual interests and goals. Green Banana Paper is an ethical and sustainable manufacturing partner helping to create prosperity in the islands. Tao was looking for a manufacturing partner that fit with their mission of to give our people of the Mariana Islands and Micronesia as sense identity and pride through our textiles and apparel.

Tao Pacific Designs started out hand-printing with hand-cut stencils on articles of clothing for fashion shows and special occasions. We think it's awesome how art can be made with just a few simple materials no matter where you are. It's using what you have, to tell a story or communicate a message. -Matt Simpson, Founder, Green Banana Paper

Matt met Tao and Joseph “Joey” Certza during 2016 when they did the design for both the Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture and Bank of Guam. Joey's art tells a story that captures so much meaning into simple arrangements of patterns and motifs. While at the University of Guam in November 2018, Matt met Myracle Mugol, Joey's business partner.

Myracle was wearing a Tao wrap that was hand-painted with bird patterns that they call "Gekpo". In sharing the story behind the pattern, that simply it told the story of the bird that soars the skies traveling great distances carrying seeds from different lands. For Tao Pacific Designs, those seeds represented stories being planted throughout the world. A few days later, Joey and Myracle invited Matt to dinner at Joey's sister's house to share stories, food and dreams. From there, we were able to embark on an exciting friendship and journey, starting with our first collaboration the Tao Circle Latte' pattern.

This design continues Green Banana Paper’s tradition of seeking out the best artists in the Pacific who are using traditional motifs like those found on ancient pottery, and combining them to tell modern stories rife with symbolism and meaning.